Ridley Scott Blames Flop on Millennials and Their Phones

Millennials take the fall for everything from the decline of American cheese and breakfast cereal to shifts in marriage trends. Ridley Scott thinks they’re responsible for his latest movie tanking, too. The Gladiator director stopped by Marc Maron’s garage for an episode of the WTF podcast and blamed the generation he called "millennian" for being too preoccupied with their cellphones. He did not blame the marketing strategy for The Last Duel, per the Hollywood Reporter, even though many commenters echoed what writer Jared Petty tweeted: "I never heard of The Last Duel until today." That’s a big difference from the buzz around the other movie Scott directed simultaneously; everyone’s talking about House of Gucci.

The Last Duel, set in medieval France and starring Matt Damon and Adam Driver, cost $100 million to make but made only $27.5 million upon release last month, CNET reports. Scott did not blame the global pandemic for the poor box office numbers, even though it was released exclusively in theaters. Nor did he blame the script. "I didn't see The Last Duel because I am tired of stories about women being raped," writer Alicia Lutes tweeted. "We all thought it was a terrific script," Scott said. The Blade Runner and Alien director added: "You can’t win all the time. I've never had one regret on any movie I've ever made." (More Ridley Scott stories.)